Running on Empty.

"Burnout is the silence where passion once lived." — Unknown

I have been trying to craft a newsletter all year about optimism and positivity, two personality traits that have been particularly challenging given the heartache and hardships the country has been facing. As much as I pride myself for coming out of the womb glass half-full, I have been unable to pen this piece because I am experiencing burnout. I am fried. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. Digitally.

Which made me wonder (sorry, I’ve been indulging in old SNTC episodes for both joy and writing inspiration)— should I fully embrace burnout to recharge or push my type-A perseverance through it? And what, if anything, can rekindle our desires when we are running on empty?

STRESS V. BURNOUT

Calm, a leading health app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation, notes that stress is the body’s immediate physiological response while burnout results from prolonged exposure, chronic stress.

It’s not just my power of positive thinking that has found merit in embracing some stress. As a short-term boost, or “rush in energy,” experts say stress can help us find focus and meet incredible goals. My passion toward writing my forthcoming essay collection has had me here for months; enthusiastic and energized.

But when the stress we’re enduring is constant, and we cannot break free of restlessness or agitation (from the news cycle, for instance), this prolonged strain leads to burnout. A new study shows 66% of American employees are experiencing some burnout, and there’s a notable rise in anxiety. You don’t need to be among the 100% of the people addicted to social media to know this is not news. But it can sneak up on you. I am just now realizing how much my looming book deadline is contributing to my own burnout. It’s as poet Jorge Luis Borges said, “even sunshine burns if you get too much.”

FITNESS GAINS

As a fitness fanatic (with the highest honor being this Ageist article title), I know that workouts have always helped me overcome stress. But until recently I did not know the depth of psychological impact exercise has on burnout.

According to Stat Wellness: “Emerging scientific evidence highlights the profound impact of regular physical exercise on promoting neuroplasticity. Engaging in aerobic activities, strength training, and other forms of exercise has been shown to stimulate the release of various neurotrophic factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays a pivotal role in supporting the growth and maintenance of neurons.”

Neuroplasticity helps combat burnout by allowing the brain to reorganize its neural pathways, "rewiring" itself to develop new, healthier responses to stress. We shift away from the negative patterns associated with burnout and build more resilient coping mechanisms. Who says people can’t change.

My brilliant friend, Jennifer Walsh, an acclaimed author, entrepreneur and media figure concurs: “Exercise, either indoors or out, helps build brain health and neuroplasticity. While research continues on the cognitive health of regular exercise, neuroplasticity occurs when we learn and challenge ourselves in new ways. Our brains are ‘expanding' in newness.”

Where does that leave the endorphins we’ve been chasing since Jane Fonda pulled on leg warmers? Those neurotransmitters primarily contribute to feelings of pleasure and pain relief, which are invaluable to soothe us in the short-term — but they don’t change our thinking.

While alcohol releases endorphins, imbibing is not the way to go if you have burnout — despite being a stimulant initially, it’s ultimately a depressant. And more importantly, the Surgeon General has now linked alcohol use with at least seven types of cancers.

SWIPE FATIGUE

While the origin of “Swipe Fatigue” is dating app burnout, the same could be said of all digital usage that leaves you emotionally and mentally drained. I have previously written about how invaluable a digital detox can be to our self-worth, and am heeding my own advice by taking a social media hiatus. Including deleting the apps from my phone; I cannot be trusted.

THERAPEUTIC LAZINESS

Just as Amy Odell noted, WGSN’s number one trend in beauty for 2025 is “Therapeutic Laziness” — It’s the industry’s evolution of “bed rotting” (which I loved discussing, among other beauty trends, on last Fall’s Nirvana Sister’s Podcast), and we are due. This Great Exhaustion era was inevitable given the girlboss, hustle culture we were riding high for too long. As I wrote here, we’d be much happier — and seemingly more successful — if we took our expectations down a notch.

SELF CARE

I am with Lalah Delia who said, “Self-care is how you take your power back.” In the spirit of Jessica DeFino, the self-care you undertake to overcome burnout should be about taking true care of yourself rather than “fixing” what you — or the homogenous world of ageless beauty — feels would improve you. You may feel broken, but that does not diminish your magnificence. Our vulnerability is one of our greatest superpowers.

BURNOUT BUSTERS

With the long weekend and a holiday celebrating love ahead, take the chance to rest and show yourself some care. Here are some great escapes:

· Take in the premiere of the Bridget Jones sequel “Mad About The Boy” — Enjoy it old-school, in a dark theater with popcorn.

· Celebrate 55-year-old superstar Brooke Berman’s debut film "Ramona at Midlife" — viewing at home while wearing your coziest loungewear.

· Crack open anything released to date from Zibby Owens’ Most Anticipated Books of 2025 list.

· Slide into a sauna blanket (Higher Dose is my fave) wearing a facial mask (consider it a weighted blanket for the face). Don’t inspect lines or wrinkles before or after (see self-care directive above).

· Catch up on NYFW runway shows. Don’t burden yourself with the fact that there was limited representation of the silver generation; that’s a challenge to tackle post-burnout. And, let’s see how the London, Milan and Paris shows go.

· Revel in the beauty and creativity of fashion’s past with Under The Cover Podcast, where legendary stylist Paul Cavaco and Knockout Beauty founder Cayli Cavaco Reck interview icons about the photo shoots, music videos, and fashion shows that shaped our culture. Also, tune in to the documentary podcast “BLOW-UP: When Liz Tilberis Transformed Bazaar” — a reunion of greats reflecting on the best era in fashion (the 90’s naturally) and the magnificence of the late Liz Tilberis.

· Peek into the soft launch of Spence, for new workout clothes and/or loungewear. As a tennis fan myself, I am ready for this brand to hit it big. I find daydreaming about soaking up sunshine (a burnout booster) and swinging a racket helps my mood. #128daysuntilsummer

· Catch ZZZs. One in three adults do not get enough sleep, which is instrumental to both reversing burnout as well as preventing it in the first place. Sweet dreams.

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